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Tevinter Imperium
Once a country to spread through Thedas, Tevinter is only a shadow of its former glory. Ruled by Magisters and held up by a huge population of slaves, it still remains the center of the slave-trade of all Thedas, known for the silent acceptance of bloody forbidden magic. "The Imperium is little more than a dilapidated old slattern, crouching in the far north of Thedas, drunkenly cursing at passersby to recall her faded beauty." ' ''-Brother Genitivi on Tevinter Imperium'' Geography Seated in the warm North of Thedas, Tevinter is bordered by Nevarra in the south, Antiva in east and Anderfels in the west. In the south lay the seas of Nocen and Colean, as well as the island of Seheron; the homeland of the Qunari and the result of the most disturbance the Imperium faces in the present day. Cities *Asariel *Carastes *Marnus Pell *Marothius *Minrathous - Capital *Neromenian *Perivantium *Qarinus *Teraevyn[4] *Vol Dorma *Vyrantium Regions *Eyes of Nocen *The High Reaches *The Hundred Pillars *The Silent Plains *Valarian Fields History When humans first came to mainland Thedas, they coexisted peaceably with the native elves. Several human tribes formed, including the Tevinters centered on the port-city of Minrathous, ruled by a dynasty of kings. From the elves, they learned how to use lyrium to enter the Fade, developing magical talent that soon dominated the nation's infrastructure. Circles of Magi formed in Tevinter cities as closed societies of mages, presumably to train and study their talents. They formed a council of their most talented mages, the Court of Magisters, which convened in Minrathous and decided the mandate of magic in the kingdom. In -1195 Ancient, the magister Darinius took power as its first Archon and founded the Imperium, establishing the magisters as its aristocracy. Gradually, elves retreated from contact with the humans, allowing the nascent Imperium to flourish territorially. The Imperium conquered Elvhenan, the elven homeland, and enslaved its people, who claim the magisters sunk their capital of Arlathan into the earth with their magic. As well, the Imperium under Darinius was the first to successfully ally with the dwarves of Kal-Sharok and traded extensively with them. During its expansion, the Imperium conquered much of the land of Thedas, as far south as Ferelden and east as Rivain subjugating the local tribes throughout with brutal force. It commissioned the construction of the Imperial Highway to connect all lands under their rule together for the purpose of trade, but the fall of the Imperium meant the project was never completed. In 620-640 TE, a large civil war erupted when the two most influential magisters warred for the vacant Archon's throne, threatening to split the empire. Even after order was restored, it marked the decline of the Imperium's golden age. In 800 TE, in a misguided attempt at apotheosis, a group of magisters sacrificed hundreds of slaves and used up two-thirds of the lyrium in the entire empire to physically enter the Fade using blood magic, returning as the first Darkspawn. The Archdemon Dumat led the First Blight for nearly two hundred years, ravaging the empire and shattering its power. Civil unrest added to complications until the newly founded Grey Wardens finally defeated the darkspawn. Their vulnerabilities exposed to the world, the severely weakened Imperium suffered the first Exalted MArches by the escaped slave Andraste and her husband Maferath who brought a barbarian army from Ferelden north to destroy the empire. Slave revolts by elves enamored by Andraste's campaign exploded in cities everywhere, compounding the threat of the encroaching Fereldan armies. Finally, the rebellion was put down and Andraste was publicly executed with her generals. While the Imperium wrestled with Rivain's war for independence, Andrastian cults gained momentum around the world. Archon Hessarian the ruler at the time of Andraste's revolt, formally converted to the faith himself. With the founding of the Chantry the ruling magisters of Tevinter lost significant influence as they were penned into the restrictive Circles of MAgi. Though southern Tevinter had split completely, the north remained intact. The magisters eventually surrendered to the Chantry, but only on their own terms. In the Towers Age, the Imperium split from the Orlesian Chantry and formed its own Imperial Chantry under a mage, Divine Valhail. The Black age to the Exalted age saw several Exalted Marches ordered against the Tevinter Imperium by the White Divine when tensions between the Orlesian and Imperial Chantries grew heated. In 6:30 Steel, Thedas was first attacked by the Qunari, and much of the Imperium was conquered in the conflicts. Determined to retake its lost territories, the Imperial Chantry declares the New Exalted Marches alongside the Orlesian Chantry long into the Storm Age. The Imperium did not take part in the Llomerryn Accords, an armistice which ended the war with the Qunari, as other human nations did, and as such the Tevinters and the Qunari are in a state of constant war as both struggle for dominance of northern Thedas, currently warring over the island of Seheron. In 7:34 Storm, political power has seemed to shift back to the magisters, as the new Archon Nomaran was elected directly from the Circle of Magi, abolishing laws that prohibited mages from participating in government. Culture The Tevinter Imperium was once the largest nation on Thedas, reaching all the way to Ferelden in the south. It has diminished significantly both in size and clout in the world but remains highly active in the north. Tevinter society is notoriously decadent, and ambition and magical ability are hallmarks of the ruling elite, the Magisters. The ancient magister lords ruled the Imperium in the Circles of Magi (before their modern incarnation), maintaining a tight hold over its people through the power to infiltrate their dreams using Blood magic. Though blood magic is now banned in the Imperium, mages who practice it are quietly acknowledged as the most proficient dream-walkers and diviners. The centuries-long war with the Qunari has taxed the Imperium significantly as resources are strained, with hundreds of refugees fleeing to the capital of Minrathous, the splendor of which is chafing greatly everywhere outside the spires that house the Imperium's Circles of Magi. It is still legal for elves to be sold into slavery in Tevinter, a fact which allowed many elves from Ferelden to be sent to the Imperium during Teyrn Loghain's regency. Elves may also choose to sell themselves into slavery to provide for their families. Slave revolts have been a common occurrence throughout history. Kirkwallwas once the center of the Tevinter slave trade. The Imperial Chantry is the main religious organization in Tevinter, replacing the abandoned worship of the Old Gods. It is more accepting of magic and allows men to join the priesthood. Politics The Tevinter Imperium is still governed by powerful magic-users through a form of magocracy. It is almost universally reviled by other nations. Its nobility is known to be over-indulgent, and slavery is still practiced. The Imperium is the center of the black market, smuggling (including the harboring of mage fugitives from other lands) and the slave trade. Tevinter would crumble without slaves, given that it is the only way to support their economy. History shows how deeply committed they are to the practice; when an archon once outlawed it slavery, the archon was quickly assassinated. Though merely a shadow of its former glory, the Imperium is still a very powerful nation with considerable military might. It would turn on the southern nations were it not diverted by the constant wars with the Qunari. The Imperium draws a variety of soldiers from its territories to form an impressive army. Most noted throughout Thedas, however, is the use of elephant mounts that have been imported into Tevinter for centuries through the coastal colonies near the northwestern jungles. As well, Minrathous is famously protected by a trio of gigantic war golems purchased from the dwarves known as the Juggernauts. The Imperium's capital is Minrathous, at the northern end of the Imperial Highway. Tevinter has its own versions of the Chantry and Circles of Magi, both led by a male Divine, unofficially known as the "Black Divine"; his authority, and indeed the existence of the Imperial Chantry, is not recognized by the Chantry in Orlais. Likewise, the Imperial Chantry refuses to recognize the authority of the Orlesian Chantry and its "White Divine." The Chantry calendar is in use everywhere except the Imperium. The Imperium has maintained an agreeable relationship with the dwarves which dates back to the Archon Darinius. The political system of Tevinter is comparable to that of the Orzammar dwarves. Magisters are members of the Senate and constantly compete with their fellows to rise into a higher position on the council, though they come together to put down slave rebellions, which they view as sedition. Raising one's position on the Senate can be achieved through wealth, magical prowess and/or support by fellow Senators. The Tevinter Imperium in Fortress of Glass Here at Fortress of Glass, we welcome characters of any class from the Tevinter Imperium, and are happy for any reasonable member plot to occur in the country Plots in the Tevinter Imperium Many Magisters have tried and failed in the past by recreating Tevinter's ancient glories and looking to expand the influence of the Senate over more of Thedas. With unrest building throughout all of Thedas, and many of the other nations beginning to look vulnerable, it might be that the Magisters have the perfect chance to try their hungry gambit again. The games of the Senate played between Magisters can be deadly and volatile, yet it is one all Magisters find themselves drawn into. With position and influence determined by one's performance against their peers, the political infighting and backstabbing that defines the political arena of Tevinter shows no signs of slowing down even in these difficult times. The events of Kirkwall have touched all of Thedas, including the mage-ruled Tevinter. With mages all across Thedas rejecting the shackles of the Orlesian Chantry and looking more fondly on the system in Tevinter, the Imperials find themselves at the center of the unfolding events. Category:Locations Category:Tevinter